Escaping the Barriers that Bind Us

Greeting my gentle readers yet again to another week of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog. A time to step back and appreciate the steps that you have taken through the week, identify them and recognize the fingerprint that is yours embossed all over the week. For some people that may sound very scary and others it is a joy and triumph. So what defines and delineates the two?

Last week we talked about identifying the barriers that exist within us and more often than not are made and owned by us. We love and hate our walls that we have created, all in one felled swoop. They channel our existence and work and at the same time seem to hamper us from the activities that we long and desire.

So how can and could we break and address these challenges? Is it even within our scope and mandate, or are we to be mindless sheeple that do as old and all we be looked after by the Great Political and Societal Father? Interesting concept I believe. Foe we do have, as I have alluded to many times the ability to go beyond the obvious and to exercise and stretch our Inspirational and Spiritual wings that we all have. We are far more as human beings than the sum of our parts and there are the unknown aspects of virtues, deadly sins, humanities and more that configure into the Spiritus that is us.

To identify the barriers and challenges and the frustrations of the day that you experience is an excellent first step to manage them. To address and validate or diminish the perspective by changing the vantage point is often critical. Challenging our belief systems through communications with others that are trusted and have the “stuff” we value is often a good step. The walls may still be very real. This is the opportunity then to take it or leave it, cut bait or fish and just piss or get off the pot. YOU have that choice.

There are several questions that will subsequently extend from this scouting and reconnaissance of the wall. How important is that wall? What does it mean to me? Is it hurtful or protective? Can I live with that wall? Do I need to find a way to get around? This is where our peace, patience, silence, humility and serenity come in. Where we acknowledge, accept and do not fight the challenge, but to take it as a learning opportunity, and where we can make the next choice as how to evolve and think outside the box. Anyone who has ever seen a prison movie knows there are thousands of ways to make a prison break. Lets collaborate and build a ladder, or fly out, or tunnel out. Major point here is passivity and giving in and rolling over is NOT mandatory, unless you want it.

The end objective is that which we strive for. Spirituality, comfort and the positive virtues, which help, dissipate like acid the walls that spring up in our human world. That we can actually be at ease with the moment, even when it appears a challenge. That we observe, learn, appreciate and evolve our thought process.

To evolve and know yourself and be yourself is to see the Light that is within us and grow the wings of flight and freedom from the chaos that exists around us. That light is precious and all around us and as you tunnel through under the walls that you have identified, it shines bright with the promise that you can be yourself, often.

--- Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure July 2012

Perceptions defining conceptual reality

Perceptions defining conceptual reality


Original Found: http://www.joelwlamoure.com/2012.06.01_arch.html

Greetings my gentle readers to this weeks installment of the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. A time where may be able to look at the transpirations and transgressions of the week, sit down and try to come to either sense and/or peace with the events. So much goes on in this very busy world that all too often people are not gentle with themselves or others and there tends to expose roots through events that perhaps we do not wish to see. We can see tragedy in the event or a chance for hope or learnings. All depends on the position and desire and intelligence and insight of the person who is mapping out the elephant in the room!

Happy June my friends!

Last week on Blog Talk radio I was able to address some of the spirituality components of a purpose driven life and what we should look for in life and the mindfulness of the moments that we are to be able to capture and relish along the way. The general concepts of the here and now and now and later as relating to the spiritual and prayer based pinnacle of the pyramid that we have looked at the past 4 weeks. If anyone is interested, the bases of the pyramid were mindfulness, reflection, altruistic giving that allowed a person to grow and develop into a spirit based person, which we truly are having a human experience. Due to family urgencies, I wasnt able to post last week and thank you all for the thoughts, understandings and prayers that came along.

This week we will look at where this takes us and the incredible journey that we have unconsciously been on for millennium and will continue to progress down. It is not the man or woman that defines the situation, but rather the obverse. What do you do with good and bad news? Sadly, I believe we squander both the positives and negatives as often the positives are bound to be our right and expectation. (Insert shudder here) and the bad situations are as a result of bad luck. (See previous parenthesis) But what have you done in the situation to conspire against the spiritual and thus the environmental health of the particular situation? IN my experience, people were often incongruous versus their thoughts and actions and especially their speech. In fact, it can be observed to be a triangle or menage-a-trois of deceit and lies. Sad isnt it? And then people get into their BMW (Biatchy, Moany, Whiny) mobile and truck their disaster to the next willing person that will empathise. Sigh.

We perceive the world is against us creating physical and psychiatric and somatic symptoms that self propagates. Or we perceive the world is unfair because one has been afflicted by a negative psychiatric or medical condition. While I fully agree and personally know how devastating that is, it is WHAT WE DO and our subsequent actions and congruency that will define health. Put your money where your mouth is and say it, feel it, act it and believe it! It actually is that easy when you realize there is a Divine plan and if we can connect with that, there is comfort and being at ease with the moment. It is also a form of inspiration to others. People will flock to you to help (and it always seems to be the right people, interestingly) vs abandon you. However, if you take Communion on Sunday and act negative the next day and then feel victimized the 3rd day with blasphemy and actions contradictory to the Sunday piousness... that is hypocrisy. In my observations across the past 42 years, hypocrisy always loses. Integrity does win and good overcomes evil, although there is a seesaw and some days it doesnt pay it feels to chew through the restraints.

Yet we must continue to practice with our thoughts and belief systems. Why? That will define our peceptions and awareness of the situation around us. And my friend, that WILL begat your reality. Hard choices, hard thoughts but the opportunity to save just one live, and that is yours. Once that is done, only then can we truly be good and help one other person. To see that one other person helping 1 other is one of the most rewarding gifts that I have been given in my life. And I feel that gratitude. It is not about BMW, wins, title, position etc... but about what you do with your live and to hold your head high, even in the face of adversity.

Im still learning...we all are. And what an incredible gift to be in the moment, knowing its exactly as meant to be and believe and be at ease with that and that gift is allowing yourself to be yourself, often.

 ~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure    June 2012

Gratitude-The Third Element of the Pyramid

Greetings my very gentle readers to this week's installment of the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. Ah yes, a time to look at the metaphysical moments of the day and all the blessings that we have that cannot be bottled or ingested, but appreciated and loved.
Over the past 2 weeks (with the exception of the week I took off to be in Copenhagen), we have taken a look at the perfect, parfait driven live from the cornerstones and ultimate pinnacle of a pyramid. In God we Trust, with the All-Seeing eye on the obverse of the American $1 bill. But this is the pyramid symbolic of personal and strength that we are reflecting up. The 4 bases of this pyramid will be the Mindfulness, Reflection, Gratitude and Altruistic giving with the pinnacle representing Prayer/Spirituality.
As we have learned, the main cornerstone and anchor of the pyramid that is us in strength and humanities is mindfulness. That is being at one and connected and in the moment, appreciating all aspects of the moment. Its so very hard to fill ourselves with crap and fear and anxieties when all of our efforts are rooted in the flower in front of it! And of course, right beside that beautiful rooted flower is the anchor of reflection. Ah, so many sights, colours, flavours and anything that titillates and impacts on our five senses with imprint a reaction on us. That is part of reflection. Reflection is inwardly or outwardly. Sadly for many, it is often cowardly... and the glass is distorted or a true image is never obtained. It reflects a world of delusions within illusions.
If we are truly aware and feel with all of our sense what we are doing and how we are doing it and for what cause and see it to be good, then that inherently will create the third component of the triangle. That is gratitude. In and of themselves, a pyramid is comprised of the three dimensions of three triangles with a solid square at the base. This square allows the pyramid to gain height, stability and structure. Yet within the structure lies the trinity. The number 3 is mystical and often found in cultures around the world, and links into the concepts of theology.
So, to round out this triangle, we look to and appreciate gratitude. And truly what better day than today to express such, than Mothers Day? Almost seems like my agent had these steps conceptualized perfect! Have to swing them a bonus! A triangle with no third point is a plain ole line. Boring. No third dimension and flat as the Earth was 600 years ago (except to the inspired- and they were called crazy-> Ah, thats a story on the insanity of the sanity for another day). Gratitude means that we can take the moments that we have mindfully appreciated and reflected on how well they fit in the the story of a life that we are writing word by word, page by page and chapter by chapter and FEEL it with thanks.
Gratitude means that we take the good and the bad, positive and sad, yin and the yang and see it in the incredible harmony that it is. Gratitude is realizing that everything happens for a reason and appreciating that it has happened and has added to the complement that is us. We tend to apply gratitude to the tangible gifts that come in life and cover those said gifts. The more expensive, the more the gratitude. The better the date, the more likely to have (ahem) fun time at the end of it. That is the most screwed up concept of gratitude I have heard of, yet it defines our society.
Maybe, just maybe yet again the societal driven way is a perversion of what we should really do and feel and have. We already discussed honesty, integrity, being a kid and putting together things that may normally done in a "proper" concept; up can be fun, overcome dis-ease and thus disease and more. So why not gratitude as well? Im more grateful for a $100 gift than a $1 gift? Because it means more? Is that not a societal driven expectation from the men in the blue pinstripe suits? I had to work harder, lose more of life to make more money to get more gratitude? Whacked.
Lets try a gratitude of actions and appreciation instead. That we feel at ease with what happens, and even when life takes a turn you didnt expect, we are mindful of that, reflect what it will mean and do and fit in with the moment and then hive thanks. The thanks is gratitude. The best gifts in life come through kindness and actions. Maybe thats why Mothers Day is so valuable and moms mean so much and its easy to give thanks and gratitude for your mother... all that they have given, given up and sacrificed when we reflect has made us part of who we are. We know the love of a mother and even if there were bad times and days, we must remember that they are human, but they do put their babies first. I give thanks for the mom I had as she gave everything, even when there was nothing. That is love...an intelligent concern for others.
Want gratitude? Be grateful for the miracle that is you first and all the miracles that exist in the moment about you. Get over yourself and the ego driven concept of self importance and know exactly where you fit into the big blue marble. Appreciate the flowers, earth, sky, wind, fire, water and life that is in such abundance about you. Gratitude for the colours, sight, sound and ability to communicate. That you are not trapped in a mind with demons and cant see, or communicate that hell you are in. To see that (and I know a person like that, deaf/mute/ blind and suffering :( ) helps you put everything in perspective.
Why are some grateful for small wonders and that begats happiness while those in mansions with millions are in personal agony and suffer? This is perspective and perspective defines reality. Perspective is in large part gratitude.
Be at ease with the surroundings you are in and at ease my gentle friends. Appreciate and give thanks that you are a miracle, surrounded my miracles, for then you shall see and be yourself, often.

  --- Rev. Dr Joel Lamoure    May 2012   (Mothers Day)

The Nav Path of Life

From: http://www.joelwlamoure.com/2012.04.01_arch.html

The Nav Path of Life

Greetings my gentle readers to this weeks "Be Yourself, Often" blog. Ahhh that time that we can wonder where our path is and look at the often small changes and deviations from the week before. To sit back in a degree of quiet contemplation and see where out flight is taking us. Has it been a week of balance, smooth sailing and learnings, or one of crisis, psychotic pilots and emergencies?

We learned and discussed last week, which was captured in Tuesdays radio show "Prescribing Spiritual HOPE" from the 27th of March that even before the flight and path evolves, that it is a good thing to address the instruments that we will use when flying. To look at the Pilot Operating Handbook and also to write out systems checklists and contingency plans in advance of the flight. I dont know about any of you, but my ability to do clear and rational thought processes is hampered in a crisis, much list write out a clear plan when in panic mode. So there is references already there for you.

So as we look to preventing pilot and person and equipment failure... we may already know where we wish to go on this journey. That is out Internal Navigation System (INS) and hereafter known and discussed as our Nav system. These are the brains of the plane as they will help guide us to the destination that WE select. This is the first issue and opportunity in spirituality and conceptualization. That being that we have a chance and a choice, plus a conscious opportunity to enter into our mental Nav system where we want to go. What is the end destination that we hope to achieve? There are 2 planes of sight (2 and 3 dimensional) on the visible earth... that is Life and Death. Life is programmed in and Death is a long way on the horizon.  However, depending on the flight, that final destination may only become a way point, whether it be called after-life, Heaven,  reincarnation, samsara, Elysium Fields, Valhalla, Olam Haba or She'ol to name a few. Across mankind and thousands of years there has been that opportunity of discussion.

But for the here and now flight path that we program into the Nav system? Do you want an intercontinental flight and deadhead across the Atlantic or Pacific or even across the great countries of Europe or North or South America?  Most people do seem to want that. Circumnavigate the globe with just a few stops to prevent a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and get it done as soon as possible! The only time otherwise that touch downs happen are in times of emergency (which hopefully you have with due diligence prepared that contingency plan!) Now if we were to look at a life like that, there are a few milestones (births, deaths, jobs) and many turbulent situations and full crisis that occur (financial, health, situational) along the Nav Path of the Life. Any of these will force the plane to land and refocus. The rest of the time though, the headphones are one, watching a movie and lulled to pacification by the good and wonderful food and diversions for which you are being fed. The worst part is because the Nav path is locked in so far in advance, there are so few course corrections, and most only happen in these emergency situations.

Here is a different concept my gentle readers... and that is to consider small steps along the path, charting our way across new adventures and stopping at several places of call and explore and feel and live the culture of the moment and embrace the people there. Not to see them as different, but to assimilate through osmosis some of the learnings and teachings and mayhaps impact some of your own along the way? That we can learn in a gradual way, not unlike placing small stones across the river that allow us to traverse safely and through an embraced and shared learnings. Sure, seems like more work and may very well be. I cant say that I circumnavigated the globe x amount of times by doing it this way, but the life that I can live is potentially richer. That there is less chance of a catastrophic crash and along the way be able on these short Nav trips to learn and see more. Certainly it isnt as fast or fly as high, but I believe and observe that it allows one to actually fly higher and more intensely with the gifts and bounty of life there to be explored. And you know what? Its just fast enough.

Help me help you place the stones to traverse the waterways with the internal gifts and nav systems that we have and have been given. Theres also a sense of wonderment and potential joy to it for along the way you can be yourself, often.



  --- Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure    April 2012

Balancing Acts of Gods and Generals

From:
http://www.joelwlamoure.com/2012.03.01_arch.html

Balancing Acts of Gods and Generals

Greetings my gentle readers to this week's (albeit late) edition of the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. Ah yes, a time that and when we can step back and reflect on the subtleties and largeties of the day and week, break bread together in a few moments of peace.
This has been such an exciting and wonderful week as it relates to many topics and moments and glimmers of light radiating through unopened doors with the map in the mind serving as a vista to step from. A week where the belief, faith and hope resonated strong and wonderful friends, colleagues and family come to play. These are such exciting times and we are actually exceedingly privileged as we move ahead my friends to have such friends that will help you mind and reflect. In challenges come wonderful opportunities and the layers of the mask addressed.
As layers of the mask come off and we really truly address the core and root individual that we are, it was postulated by a wise colleague of mine that sometimes maybe the world doesnt want to entirely see the total without makeup side that we have. And in fact, it may do us benefit to maintain some autonomy behind a mask or two. Being the person that I am, I can and will wholeheartedly agree, that sometimes the honesty and up front may just be too much for people!
But what a wonderful discussion and reflection to move forward with! And another set of very key discussions had to do with balance. Who is who that we are in the situations that arise and what do we stand for versus the what that the situation demands? And in all of those reflections on balance and that some aspects may just get lost in the mask themselves, it is the root that we must be ourselves often. To look at the who that we are and in balance be comfortable with that person and live the dream that we are living and to do it well and with personal integrity.
In challenges come wonderful opportunities and clarity. That is the times when one doesnt thing that things are going exactly the way that WE expect them to... that always, always, always a new set of opportunities come. Per wit, we have exhausted and come to the end of the map in our mind. Do we play that level again, or with inspirations and support of those around look to the lines and shadows and new doors of opportunity either personally or professionally to advance? And if we knock or try to push open those doors, what lies on the other side? It truly is a fools guess to try to think what the other person may be thinking, planning, doing and in any way, shape or form to step away, fight or impede what the wheel of samsara has come around to. That we are open and receptive and gracious when a situation arises. That is the tool of leaders versus cowards. The choice of Gods and Generals.
For we are to understand and forgive and learn. To make an accurate determination of the lay of the land with a fearless review of the resources and internal skills that we have and possess. That can not be taken away unless we take them away. To practice and belief with high integrity.
And that my gentle readers stems back to the ability to listen careful and as I am learning to ask and encourage the feedback that will help advance the thought process, make it even richer and allow a situation where all are heard. That we are able to feel and see that kind and loving reflection that we have been afforded, and make do and also be comfortable with it! That we then know the lay of the land and what is needed and afforded much clarity, with (most of) the masks removed. And that we are comfortable with that person. This opens the vial of spiritual hope. For that we are allowed then to advance down a complete and holistic path which is rooted in the REAL goals and outcomes set for us, versus what we believe and believed is our due (oh the RICH delusions we create!!!). That knowledge and surrounded by like minded empowers us and the story is all about personalization and this is my story.
Holistic health.... to be light at heart and mind and comfortable with the surroundings and the miracles that abound around us in the momemnt. Yes, I think that just may allow you (and me) to be yourself, often.


--- Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure      Match 2012